Thomas Louis
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Sir Thomas Louis | |
|---|---|
Baronetcy • Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit |
Louis died of an unknown ailment aboard his flagship in Alexandria harbour in 1807, and was buried in Malta.
Early career
Thomas Louis was born in 1758 to John and Elizabeth Louis. John was a schoolmaster in
War with America
In 1776, at the outbreak of the
After repairs, Louis commanded Fenix on her return to Britain and was joined there by Bienfaisant. In this ship, Louis was involved in the capture of the French
During the peace, Louis lived on his half-pay in reserve near Torquay. He married Jacquetta Belfield in early 1784 and the couple had seven children. His eldest son, John Louis would later become an admiral in his own right, and his third son fought with the Royal Horse Artillery at the Battle of Waterloo.[1]
Captaincy
In 1793 the
In September 1799, Louis, under the command of
In 1800, Minotaur was
Trafalgar and San Domingo
In 1805, Louis and Austen joined Nelson's fleet in the Mediterranean, taking over
Disappointed at these events, Louis was sent under
Three months later Louis led a division of Duckworth's force in a major attempt to force passage of the channel in what later became known as the
Louis returned with the fleet to rejoin British forces in Alexandria, Egypt, but the unidentified sickness that had plagued him in the West Indies returned and he became gravely ill. He died in May 1807 and his body was transferred to Malta for burial, being interred at Manoel Island. His death was widely mourned in the fleet, particularly among the common sailors, with whom he had always been popular.[1]
Namesakes
The Royal Navy has named two ships after Louis. The first HMS Louis was a destroyer launched in 1913 which saw service during World War I before being wrecked in 1915.[5] The second, HMS Louis (K515), was a frigate in commission from 1943 to 1946 which saw service during World War II.[6]
Citations and notes
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, C. H. H. Owen, Retrieved 3 April 2008
- ^ The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the Year 1799, 128 - 129.
- ^ 'Louis, Sir Thomas, first baronet', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ p.63, Howard
- ISBN 978-1-935149-07-1.
- ^ Tynan, Roy and Peter. "Captain Class Frigates - HMS Louis K515". captainclassfrigates.co.uk.
References
- "Louis, Sir Thomas". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/17034. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Howard, Edward, Memoires of Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, K.C. B., & c., Volume 2, Adamant Media Corporation, 2003